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Glite Dictionary
white marlin

white marlin

8.8
A large sea fish with a long body and white belly that people catch for sport
  • noun
  • /waɪt ˈmɑr.lɪn/
  • US
translation icon : marlin blanco
  • white marlin and sailfish

Examples

  • This is the Bohol white Marlin, and we're just searing it very, very lightly, just like a few seconds on each side.

  • GRAPH: Figure 8. Yearly CPUE estimates of white marlin, swordfish, sailfish, and blue marlin throughout the period examined.

    Academic text (1998)

  • The seasoned angler began his day by catching and releasing a white marlin and a sailfish.

  • Canyon fishing has been red hot, especially at Wilmington, as double-digit white marlin catches have been the norm.

  • For white marlin, break out the light standup gear—20- and 30-pound outfits—and get ready to rig ballyhoo.

Synonyms

Makaira albida
vswhite marlin
  • Specialized
9.9

A small marlin fish with a long pointed bill from the western Atlantic that can weigh about 180 pounds

emphasizes elongated shape and a distinctive pale underbelly rather than size

Surface Forms

white marlin singular
white marlins plural

Morphology

white + marlin

This is a straightforward color + noun compound: 'white' (color) modifying 'marlin' (a fish), so the meaning 'a marlin that is white' is directly derivable from the parts. The composition follows regular English modifier-noun rules and is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words will understand it.

Etymology

White marlin comes from the fish's pale, almost white belly and the name of the animal, the marlin. Fishermen often saw the light belly flash when the fish jumped, so they put together white and marlin, and today the name means that species of 'fish'.